The Key to an Ideal Nap: Timing, Where and for How Long?
Listen to plenty of productivity gurus, making it simple to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Elite athletes swear by it – along with professional piano players, mixed martial artists & media moguls. But if you don't have a room for napping or a career that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed compensatory napping, essentially the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to desire: you have an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes outside your control – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap as your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a sign your sleep drive is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that napping ought not to be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists found that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off quickly,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies indicates it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend adopting the same protocol you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Some advise that you should merely snooze on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the place your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” notes a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination present to start the process initially. I can usually take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
